F**king Gas Prices

[uflnuceng]

Ken is right about premiums. They just go up and up and up. The premiums for my employees were raised 49% last year!!!!!!. It is to the point that I can no longer afford to offer fully paid coverage for my FT people.

I do understand the plight of small businesses... my premiums went up last year as well... I'm sure insurance companies are posting record profits and the lot because of it. My father-in-law runs his own business with 250 employees. A big reason for increases is fraud and lawsuits, which adds to hospital costs... you might know some fairly honorable attornies, but for the most part as soon as someone gets hurt they lawyer up and go for "damages". If there is a cap, fine, but most doctors would just settle out of court to save the expense of trial. About 10 percent of MalMed cases go to trial, and doctors win about 90 of the time. However, it is typically easier and less expensive for a doctor to settle out of court (Source: Christianity Today, 2005). The rest is due to increases in the aging population of the baby boomers and drug prescriptions (Source: Boston Globe). People aging we can't control. The cost of drugs... that is for another thread... and costs... stop the sueing for starters, we can deal with the rest later.

[uflnuceng]

That is proportionally, they spend less to insure the entire country than we do to insure only a percentage.

Yes... I know, they spend just under 10% of their GDP per year.

What are the issues regarding health care in Canada?

Serious issues plague the Canadian health care system. Health costs total more than 40% of most provincial government budgets, while the federal government is expected to drop its percentage of health spending from 17% to 16% of its total budget in 2005, signaling a drop in financial support to the provinces. Currently, the federal government pays 16 cents of every health care dollar; the provincial leaders are asking for that percentage to be increased to 25 cents, as per the recommendation of a 2003 report by a royal commission on health care. The premiers of Atlantic Canada (representing the four provinces adjacent to the Atlantic) recently stated that the country’s health system could collapse without more federal funding.

Canadians express serious disillusionment with their health care system. A recent poll sponsored by the Canadian Medical Association found that “two thirds of those polled said their families had to wait longer for medical service in the last year than they thought was reasonable.” Among the issues that concerned them were waiting for specialists (75%), for emergency room services (74%), and for diagnostic tests such as MRIs (73%). This may be because resources are scarce; a study by the Canadian Medical Forum found that the country had 2.1 doctors per 1,000 persons – listed as “25% lower than the average in other leading industrialized countries.” Yet doctors are also unhappy; family doctors are currently asking for a 30% increase in their fees.

As a response to this crisis, the province of Alberta has threatened to pull out of the Canada Health Act in order to provide health care on its own terms. Alberta is considering adding facilities fees, deductibles for doctor visits, and delisting certain medical procedures in order to address rising costs and preserve its health care system, although doing so would force it to forgo 1.3 billion dollars of money from the federal government. Still other provinces have established contracts with U.S. providers for services that require long waits in Canada.

And these are people who are PRO universal healthcare systems. Even if you can't really afford it... healthcare is still better here.

[BavarianBimmer]

filled today my tank for 73.95 euro's on 1.45euro's / liter

that's +- $7.049/gallon, total price $94.88

M42 rulez now :D

[zandi]

Can someone please tell me...

How was gas so cheap by being at a buck a gallon?

[zandi]

OHHHH GEEEEE!!!!
start complaining when it is costing you just over 100 euros about 120 dollars to fill your truck,
about 65 euros to fill my diesel E46 touring,
or it cost me 75 to fill my M3 this morning--- and S14s suk as on fuel economy.
I've been living this nightmare for years now here in germany. It sux but i just deal with it. The soldier here in germany pay half of what I pay on the US bases, but because I am a contractor for the army, i dont get the privilege of filling up there!!
sometimes it really sux here, but the no speedlimits make up for it a little, but that just burns more gas-- just cant win!

yeah bro i know what you mean, i was in germany and calculated that shit, its like 6 bucks a gallon, jesus. no speed limit does kick ass though, 100mph/160km+ = not reckless driving:D

[mikeedler]

Had the M3 out this weekend and went to the 1/4 mile track. cost me about 200$ in gas there and back-- its only a few hundred miles--- but damn gas sure goes fast at 150mph!!
I guess we just all have to deal with what we are given. I chose to stay here in germany, and for that, I loose alot of money. hell, It could be alot worse and we all could live in a 3rd world country and not even have cars-- then the problem with gas prices wouldn't be a big topic.
the german medical insurance is kinda a big scam too!! I pay such high medical (another 14%) of my check for the lazy F*CKERS who dont work, so they get free medical to here. I have lived here in Germany out of the military for over 6 years and havent been unemployed more than 2 weeks, but there are so many germans that are so lazy and will not work.. why?????you say????? because this dumb american is here to work and pay german taxes to support all the lazy people here.
boy, i could go on for hours---
but my wife, daughter, and my BMWs make up for it all!

[zandi]

I have lived here in Germany out of the military for over 6 years and havent been unemployed more than 2 weeks, but there are so many germans that are so lazy and will not work.. why?????you say????? because this dumb american is here to work and pay german taxes to support all the lazy people here.
boy, i could go on for hours---
but my wife, daughter, and my BMWs make up for it all!

Hey, im really curious, why did you move to germany? I've been wanted to move there possibly but i dont know why

[mikeedler]

I moved here, because I came here single in the Army, met a great German girl, got married, and her parents gave us a house. so rent is free-- except that i have completely remodeled the house, so i nolw have a mortage-- and cause I feel it is safer, and a better environment for my daughter to grow up in. But the real reason i stayed here is because my M3 is only 20 years old-- I have another 5 years, and then I can come back to the states with it.!!!!(j/k) but it is really part of the reason to.

[808BMW]

It helps to just pump and not look

[Borat]

we pay $1.48/L
3.78 litres in a gallon so we pay $5.60 a gallon.
Now our dollar is worth about half what yours is, dam I want american gas prices.

[uflnuceng]

It helps to just pump and not look

Gasp! You mean you used a device with a battery next to a gas pump?!?!?!? Don't you know a tiny little spark between the electrodes in your camera or cell phone could cause a tremendous explosion!!!! Or atleast that is what the safety police want us to think.

Just paid $2.63 9/10 for 93 octane outside of Pittsburgh, PA. About $28 for almost 11 US gallons of gas.

[nando]

I hope it goes higher, then we'll have less jackasses in their SUVs on the road. 8)

[uflnuceng]

I hope it goes higher, then we'll have less jackasses in their SUVs on the road. 8)

[808BMW]

Gasp! You mean you used a device with a battery next to a gas pump?!?!?!? Don't you know a tiny little spark between the electrodes in your camera or cell phone could cause a tremendous explosion!!!! Or atleast that is what the safety police want us to think.

Well it's not actually my pic, it was taken by local street bike riders (who stunt with no helmet, so I guess a gas explosion is nothing)

I hope it goes higher, then we'll have less jackasses in their SUVs on the road. 8)

I'm trying to buy a 2001 suburban, nobody wants those big v8's, so I'm holding out for the seller to lower their price since it isn't selling.

[Spencer]

http://toccionline.kizash.com/films/1001/178/index.php